Measured breath patterns of an individual's respiration indicate levels of fitness and health. In turn, respiration patterns also influence fitness and health of the individual. Two components of the measured respiration patterns are respiration rate and respiration depth. Respiration rate is a measure of the number of breaths taken per unit time, typically measured in breaths per minute. Respiration depth is a measure of the extent to which an individual's lungs expand, typically measured with air bladders or piezoelectric sensors.
Many specific health and fitness conditions correlate to particular breath patterns involving respiration rate and respiration depth. For instance, activities involving concentration by, or stress on, an individual may result in health problems. Studies have shown that certain individuals do not breath properly when under stress or when concentrating. These individuals are unaware while concentrating or under stress that their respiration is improper. Fortunately, this improper respiration has discernable patterns. For example, oftentimes the improper respiration includes too shallow or infrequent breaths.
Sleep is another area in which measured respiration patterns can be used to give timely feedback to help improve health and fitness conditions including sleep apnea, where the individual can be deprived of oxygen. Those that breath properly during sleep have certain respiration patterns, whereas those that breath improperly during sleep have other respiration patterns both involving respiration rate and depth. Another situation where respiration patterns correlate to health and fitness conditions involves anxiety. Here individuals generally take rapid, shallow breaths during their period of anxiety. Slower, deeper breaths help individuals relax and diminish their anxiety.
If individuals were aware of their respiration patterns throughout the day and night, this information could help them improve their breathing habits. Attempts have been made in the prior art to monitor respirations to a limited extent and to provide a form of feedback to the individual whose respiration is being monitored. Unfortunately, these prior art devices are limited in their monitoring capabilities and scope of application and are not conducive for use during normal activities throughout the day and night by an individual. Prior art devices which monitor respiration and provide feedback burden the users and furnish inadequate feedback. Portable units are limited to measuring respiration rate which is only part of the respiration patterns, so any feedback provided is of limited value. Other sophisticated prior art measuring systems are limited to fixed locations usually involving clinics, hospitals or sophisticated training centers, placing further demands upon individuals attempting to improve their breathing behavior.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,260 to Salem et al. teaches a prior art portable respiration monitor. However, the monitor of Salem is too bulky and cumbersome to be used in many common activities during the day and night. As with other prior art devices, the feedback mechanism of Salem is visual, which requires uninterrupted observation. Also, feedback involved with the prior art systems is not as discreet as desirable for many situations throughout the day and night. Further, the feedback used in the prior art systems is indirectly associated with the monitored condition so does not provide the type of demonstrative and meaningful feedback to dramatically encourage positive changes in behavior by the users. The respiration monitor of Salem requires a sacrifice in lifestyle, wardrobe, and activities in order to use the monitor. The monitor also, like other prior art devices, only measures respiration rate. Respiration rate is only part of the overall respiration patterns that can be used to improve health and fitness of an individual. The prior art systems are clearly inadequate and too burdensome to effectively assist individuals in improving their breathing behavior.